Snap-hook.



.6. .Hv 9 ..1 l, .bv V.. L U J D .E T N E ml A D.. ,m mm ...MH BP ..A HN -S G APPLICATION FILED MAB.13.1905Y UNITED sTATs riarrizs'ir caries. i CHARLESH. BiLLMAN, vor BoSToN, MASSACHUSETTS. l

SNAP-Hook.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Applicatin filed March 13. 1905..: Serial No. 24:9,"731.`

. katenteaJu-ly 3'1, 1906.

To all whom it 10m/,y concern.'

,Be itknown that LCH-ARLES BILLMAN,

'aciltizen of the United States of America, and a'resi'dentof Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SnapsI-Iooks, of whiohthefol-lowingis a speci- "Thisinvention relatesto snap-hooks, and hasifor its objectthe production of a hook to bepusedonsails` and in connection with theV rigging of .vessels which will: `be eective .in

..operationfeasily.operable, andfree from the .defectsff'ound insnap-hooksnow in general use.

'-frontelevation' of the same. i Fig; 3 represents vafront elevation of the interlocking .ends offtheihook.` andI l'atch disconnectedl Fig; 1 represents va .sectionshowingthe mount- -ing of the: latch-pivot. :modified formv of a snap-hook, kshown partly; -in= section: and as-applied to a rope.

Fig; 5 represents .ag

Fig. 65 represents .a front elevation of thesame.. Figs. i 7v represents an elevation ofthe 'endof the. ghook; and'Figs; 8'fand 9'represent, respec-3- j vtively, anelevation brokeninsection and a;

3 5 liront: elevation-of the pivotedflatch;

Similar: characters `designate .like arts fthroughout the severaliiguresof they raw-\ .1ngs..

In the. drawings, 10 represents'ahookipr'o-j: vided. with lateral projections 121,. by which?` saidfhook may beflashedto alrope `12, as aty .13; Thebase ofthe hook110 is provided with La central recess 14, in which Vis mounted a latch;15,.pivotedto saidhookbymeans of the-'pivot 16. The .Width'of'the latch 15 is somewhatless thanthe wid'thof the recess 14,.andthe.pivot lisloo'sely mounted in one .ofi its-.bearings'-inthe base. of the hook 10, -whilelthe opposite. end oflsaid pivotjis mount- -ed ina slot 17.,`in;.which'it is held'inpositionA :by meansof. a lug 18*upon the spring18.

VNormally the spring 18.1'et'ainssaid pivotal pin. 16 in .thebott'omof. said recess. 17 5 but whendesiredlthis mayfbe tippedat an angle against the tension ofLthe spring 418v to permit .the endLof.`.the`.latch..15. .to be disconnected ytionof thehoo j ilocked,lit maybe movedlabout'itspivot out'- i from theend of the hook 10.. This hook 10 is cut away at 19 andhasy at its extreme'end a lateral projection 20, whichv eXtendsfinto' a slot 21 cut in the endofth'e latch 15, said slot kand projectionbeing -at .such an angle thatwhen coperating .the .latch .is prevented from moving outwardly about its pivot 16.v The extreme' endu22 of thellatchv `1'5'i's cut at such an. angle as to coperatewith vthe face 23- to form al stop' and prevent any inward. movement yof .said latch 15. The

latch? 115is also provided with-,a projection 24',

which .coperatesf withlthej portionk 25'4 of .the 'hook 1=01to .lock the latchl 115l and *preventr accidental .outward movement. thereof. The

latch l'is-provided vwith a' downwardly-pro# je'cti-nglug 26, movingabout thetpi'vot Al-i'n a -p ath concentric thereto, tofwhichfis! secured at 27* a.spring'27eXtendinginto.arecess 28 in the base of thel hook 10, this spring-'serving tokeep the-latch 15'- normally in closedv positiongqas'indicatedin'Fig; 1. The' recess 2S extendsv along. the vaXisf-of-v the: hook portionf toward the end thereof. It is obviousv'that when the latch' 15-is l openedit will' be automatically .closed by said spring when `pres- Isureis removed therefrom.. Thisfinter'locking. of the latch andhook-.avoids any-projection which is liable to catch in the rigging andy prevents thelaccidental unlocking ofthe hook, whileatthesame timefby a` slight lateral pressure-on thelatch 15 it may beun# locked, `so Vas-to permit the'movementofsai'd latchaboutits 1pivottopermitof the operai'. Whenfthellatch .15 isun wardly away from the hook portion-10 and inthe same plane therewith; j Sometimes where a quicker-actinghooki's desired. the side movement of the'latch11f5- .may be dispensed with, as ishownin Figs: '5 Vto 9. VInthis form .the latch 1'5 is provided .witha T-shapedH socket 29, whichv in closed position. engagesthe end 30,'- adapted to -iit lthereiin.

' VIn theoperation of thehock thellat'chffl iS-normallyheld in lockedpositiomasishown in-Figs. 1 and 2. Whenit is. desired toflunlockthe hook, lateral pressureiisfbrou'ghtto bear upon thelatchl to moveitinto thefposition` shown vin dotted lines in Fig. 2, rthe pivot 16. rocking.-in.\.its b'earinga.v against the tension of the spring 18 to permitthis .mv'e'e ment". -When lin such. Vdotted-pt itio'n,` the shoulders upongfthe latch'and hook 'will-.bel come disengagcdand {Will permitthel latch-.to

be moved outwardly about the pivot 16 into substantially the position shown in Fig. 5. In moving outward about the pivot 16 the lug 26 compresses the spring 27, which again reacts to move the latch into its normal or locked position when pressure is removed from said latch portion 15. The movement of the latch portion outwardly in the same plane as the hook portion 1() leaves the opening of the hook entirely free and capable of cooperating with a larger member than is the case where the latch members of snap-hooks move inwardly, thereby greatly restricting the opening of the hook. In the modified form of the hook shown in'Figs. 5 to 9 the pivot-pin 16, which extends across the longitudinal recess in the base of the hook, is rigid therein and has no tilting movement, as in this form it is unnecessary to provide for lateral movement of the latch 15 to unlock said latch from engagement with the end of the hook 10, as in this form the movement of the latch 15 is only limited in one direction and that inwardly. To open this form of hook,

-the latch may be moved outwardly in the same plane as the hook portion 10 into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5 Without .first providing for any lateral movement thereof.

It is believed that the advantages and the operation of the invention will be thoroughly understood without any further description.

I claim- 1. In a snap-hook, the combination of a hook portion provided with a longitudinal slot in the base thereof, a pin in said base extending across said slot, a latch mounted upon said pin and adapted to move outwardly thereon to open the hook, automatic means for moving said latch portion about said pin its free end moving inwardly toward said hook portion to its normal closed position, and means secured to the end of said hook portion to prevent movement of said latch in either direction in a plane therewith until released.

2. In a snap-hook, the combination of a hook portion provided with a longitudinal slot in the base thereof, a pin in said base extending across said slot, a latch mounted upon said pin and adapted to move outwardly thereon to open the hook, automatic means for moving said latch portion about said pin its free end moving inwardly toward said hook portion to its normal closed position, means secured to the end of said hook portion to prevent movement of said latch in either direction in a plane therewith until released, and means for retaining said latch and hook in said locked position but adapted to permit said latch to be released when opening is desired.

3. In a snap-hook, the combination of a hook portion provided with a longitudinal slot in the baseithereof, a pin in said base extending across said slot, a latch mounted upon said pin and adapted to move outwardly thereon to open the hook, means for moving said latch portion about said pin its free end moving inwardly toward said hook portion to its normal closed position, means secured to the end of said hook portion to prevent movement of said latch in either direction in a plane therewith until released, and means for retaining said latch and hook in said locked position but adapted to permit said latch to be released when opening is desired, said latch being adapted to tilt sidewise to unlock it from said hook portion.

4. In a snap-hook, the combination of a hook portion provided with a longitudinal slot in the base thereof, a pin in said base normally extending across said slot and having bearings adapted to permit said pin to be tilted out of normal position, a latch mounted upon said pin and adapted to move outwardly thereon to open the hook, automatic means for moving saidv latch portion about said pin its free end moving inwardly toward said hook portion to its normal closed position, and means for lockiiw said latch and hook together when in said cIosed position.

5. In a snap-hook, the combination of a hook portion provided with a longitudinal slot in the base thereof, a pin in said base normally extending across said slot and having bearings adapted to permit said pin to be tilted out of normal position, a spring coperating with said pin to retain it in its normal position, a latch mounted upon said pin and adapted to move outwardly thereon to open the hook, means for moving said latch portion inwardly toward said hook portion to its normal closed position, and means for locking said latch and hook togetherwhen in said closed position.

6. In a snap-hook, the combination of a hook portion provided with a longitudinal slot in the base thereof and a recess extending from said slot along the axis of said hook portion toward the end thereof, a pin in said base extending across said slot, a latch thereon provided with a lug movable in a path concentric to the pivot of said latch, and a sprin T in said recess coperating with said lug.

7. In a snap-hook, the combination of a hook portion provided with a transverse pivot, means permitting a longitudinal tilting of said pivot, a latch portion mounted on said pivot and provided with a lug, said latch portion being adapted in opening to move outwardly about said pivot, a spring secured to said lug and entering into a recess extending lengthwise of said hook portion and toward the free end thereof, and interlocking members on said latch and hook portions adapted to engage when in closed position.

8. In a snap-hook, the combination of a hook portion provided with a transverse pivot, a latch portion mounted upon said IIO esmas v pivot and adapted in opening to move out- Wardly about said pivot in the same plane as said hook, the latch portion having a lug, a spring secured at one end thereto and entering a recess extending along the axis of said hook portion and toward the free end thereof and adapted to expand and contract lengthwise of said recess, and interlocking members on said latch and hook portions adapted to `engage when said portions are in closed position.

9.V In a snap-hook, the combination of av hook portion provided With `a longitudinal slot in the base thereof, a pin in said base extending across said slot, means permitting said pinto tilt in its bearings, a spring for normallyy retainin 'said pin in position at right anglesto sai slot, a latchon said pin,l coperating members on said latch and hook adapted to engage and lock When said latch zo is in closed position, and means for normally retaining said latch in closed position.

10,. In a snap-hook, the combination of a hook portion provided With a longitudinal slot in the base thereof, a pinin said base exz 5 tending across said slot, means permittin said pin to tilt in its bearings, a latch on sai pin, coperating members on said latch and hook adapted to engage and lock when said latch is in closed position, and means for nor- 3o mally retaining said latch in closed position. Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts,

this 1 1th -day of March, 1905.

CHARLES H. BILLMAN. c

Witnesses: I l

WALTER E. LOMBARD, EDNA C. CLEVELAND. 

